Turns out 2008 was a pretty exceptional vintage for food blogs. But what's food without a little wine? So while I haven't been with Foodista for the entire five years (just 3+ years), I thought I'd take a stroll down memory lane and select 5 memorable posts from my tenure here to celebrate Foodista's 5th birthday today.

My first post ever on Foodista! Looking back on my inaugural missive from September 30th, 2009, I have to say I'm cringing a bit. The title of this post certainly did not set the world on fire. And when searching for a verb to describe how I added a can of tomato sauce to a dish, I came up with "dumped." An inauspicious debut. Thank God I did not have a short rope.

Ah, from the days when I was full of vitrol and snark. (September 1st, 2010, to be exact.) I am proud of this line: "I'm just a wine guy, working in a grocery store, wearing a name tag, and helping you find diapers and trash bags."

One of the most wonderful things about writing for Foodista is having the opportunity to travel the world, experiencing the culture and history of wine firsthand. In the shadows of Mount Etna in Sicily, I drank some truly original wines and ate kilos of ricotta infornata.

Did you know I lived at Finnriver Farm and Cidery for a month? From January 19th of this year, see this photo essay to experience how my view of the farm was transformed by a snowstorm. Hey, it's not just about wine for me; I'm a dang Renaissance man.

A warm thank you and cheers to everyone who has enjoyed (or at least grudgingly tolerated) my thoughts about wine and beyond. I am looking forward to the next five years with you!